There are more than 6,800 Alumni, and each year more than 800 deserving caddies attend college on a full tuition and housing grant awarded by the Evans Scholars Foundation. When arriving on campus, the new Evans Scholar enters one of the most unique scholarship organizations in higher education. At 14 major Midwestern universities, the Evans Scholars chapter has earned a reputation for scholastic achievement and community service.

Evans Scholars live and work together in a cooperative setting in a Foundation-owned Chapter House. Each Chapter elects its own officers, conducts social programs and participates as a unit in campus activities. By living and working with others, Evans Scholars acquire poise, leadership capabilities and communications skills that will help them in their future endeavors. Several of the 14 Chapter Houses are co-ed.

The sense of community that is fostered through Chapter living enables each of the 14 Houses to rank at or near the top in competition with other campus organizations in both academics and extracurricular activities.

Consider how some of the Scholars describe Chapter living:
“We always support each other so the Chapter and each individual can keep moving toward bigger and better achievements.”
“The people at Evans Scholars have worked hard to make our Chapter better and stronger than ever. The result is a place to live that is fun, challenging and fulfilling.”
Above all, involvement as Evans Scholars gives young men and women a sense of responsibility and an opportunity for growth.

Each year more than 800 deserving caddies attend college on tuition and housing grants from the Evans Scholars Foundation. To qualify, caddies must be nominated by their club and meet four requirements: They must rank among the top 25 percent of their high school class, have a superior caddie record for two or more years, show financial need and have outstanding personal character. More than 200 new Scholars are chosen annually. The culmination of the selection process is the applicant’s interview with the Scholarship Committee, consisting of WGA officials and other friends of the program. The decision follows, and the new Evans Scholar is notified within a few days.

Almost all Evans Scholars attend one of the 14 universities where the Foundation maintains a Chapter House. An Evans Scholar is asked to fulfill four requirements: They must keep a strong academic record, perform community service, respect their fellow Scholars and faithfully perform assigned housework.

Nearly one-half of all Scholars maintain a B average or better; the graduate rate is 90 percent, compared to a 50 percent national average.

The Evans Scholars Program is the largest scholarship organization in sports.

A program to provide financial assistance to caddies for college was a dream of Charles “Chick” Evans Jr., one of the greatest amateur golfers of his day. In 1930 the Western Golf Association agreed to sponsor the program and accepted responsibility to raise the scholarship funds.

Since 1951 the PAR CLUB has been the primary source of funding. More than 30,000 golfers annually donate $150 or more. WGA Directors and other PAR CLUB volunteers solicit funds at golf and country clubs nationwide. The WGA also conducts a Bag Tag program. Modest bag tag fees are assessed through the WGA’s 500 member clubs.

The Western Golf Association was established in 1899. The Western Open, a PGA TOUR event, the Western Amateur and the Western Junior each rank among the oldest and most prestigious tournaments in their respective class. All Western Open proceeds benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation.

Evans Scholars Alumni also have accepted a growing responsibility to support future Scholars, raising over $1.5 million annually for the program.

As tuition costs continue to spiral upwards, the Foundation has expanded its fund-raising programs to attract special individual gifts as well as grants from corporations and foundations. Corporate matching gifts also have become an important part of the Foundation’s funding base.

To help ensure the future of Chick Evans’s dream and to provide a measure of protection against unforeseen financial emergencies, an endowment campaign was initiated in 1989. It is named in memory of Roland F. McGuigan, who served as the Foundation’s Educational Director for more than four decades. To encourage specific assistance, the Foundation welcomes planned and estate gifts and provides appropriate recognition for donors or their loved ones.